Kerala - Kochi   

The prying eyes on campuses

KOCHI: Look out for a hidden mobile camera when you go for a stroll on the campus next time.

It could be placed in a bathroom or a rest room and would be actively recording your movements.

The Kochi police have received information that obscene Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) clips reportedly shot on campuses were in active demand among those buying it for a price.

The monitoring agency was yet to act for lack of evidence regarding the exact source behind such incidents.

College authorities also fail to register a complaint with the police fearing protests from parents and the public.

Teachers, on conditions of anonymity, said that students were sharing downloaded pornographic clips from the Internet.

“We doubt that the students would be buying these clips for a price,” they said.

Police suspect that a racket downloading obscene MMS clips of various durations was active in the city.

The college students are the target clients for these people.

It is learnt that clips of six to 10 minutes’ duration could be purchased for prices ranging from Rs. 100 to Rs. 200.

Stating that the ban on mobile phones on campuses has failed to curb the menace, teachers said a temporary solution would be to enforce a stringent ban on mobile phones with cameras.

They said a blanket ban would not be practical, as mobile phones come handy in an emergency situation.

But a section of teachers did not support this view saying that the college authorities could always help students in communicating an urgent message to their parents.

Police have requested the college authorities to lodge complaints against students or college staff found misusing mobile phones on campuses.

They quoted a recent incident where an office boy was found recording the movements of students on the campus.

The monitoring agencies have also urged the association of parents and teachers to debate whether students should use mobile phones on campuses.

Police said a concerted move might help in checking misuse of mobile phones on campuses.

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